San Francisco to Big Sur: Don't Skip These Eight Stops
The Ultimate Spring Highway 1 Road Trip Guide
Pfeiffer Beach
Highway 1 has a reputation, and it earns it. Driving south from San Francisco on a clear April morning with the Pacific unfolding to the right, and the cliffs dropping away below, it's the kind of drive that makes you understand why people move to California in the first place. Spring is the right time to do it: the hills are green, the wildflowers are out, and the waterfalls are running full.
Here's what to stop for, and a few things worth knowing before you go.
Half Moon Bay
About 40 minutes south of the city, Half Moon Bay is an easy first stop. Poplar Beach and Gray Whale Cove are both worth a visit and relatively uncrowded, with the kind of wide, windswept scenery that sets the tone for the rest of the drive. Main Street has good coffee and local shops if you need to stretch your legs before getting back on the road.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz tends to take more time than you plan for, which is fine. The Beach Boardwalk is a genuine classic with amusement rides, arcade games, and a beachfront setting that hasn't changed much in decades. The sea lions at the Wharf are always a fun sight. For food, Pacific Avenue is your best bet; walk it and see what looks good.
Santa Cruz
Point Lobos
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is, without question, one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in California. The water at China Cove is an almost implausible shade of blue-green, and the trails are well-maintained and largely flat. Be sure to arrive early. The parking lot fills up, and this one is worth doing properly.
Point Lobos
Garrapata State Park
An underrated stop that most people drive past without realizing. The Soberanes Point Trail is 1.25 miles, mostly flat, with open coastal views that are hard to beat anywhere on this drive. The park entrance is 6.7 miles south of Rio Road in Carmel-By-The-Sea - the sign is small and easy to miss, so pay attention around that stretch. The terrain near the bluffs is uneven so wear shoes with some grip.
Calla Lily Valley
Located within Garrapata State Park is Calla Lily Valley. This stop is spring-specific - the valley blooms from January through April, and outside that window there's not much to see. Inside it, though, it's remarkable: white calla lilies packed into a canyon above the ocean, with morning light coming through the hills behind them.
Park at gate 18 or 19 and walk about 0.8 miles in. Boots are a good idea, as the path gets muddy, and long pants are worth wearing for the poison oak and poison ivy. Earlier in the morning is better for both the light and the crowds.
Bixby Bridge
The most photographed spot on the drive, and still worth stopping for. The best views are from the turnout at the south end of the bridge, or a short walk toward the Old Coast Road entrance for a different angle. Weekday mornings offer better light and noticeably fewer people.
Bixby Bridge
Pfeiffer Beach
The sand here has a faint purple tint, the result of manganese garnet washing down from the cliffs above. It's subtle but real, particularly where the sand is wet. The beach is dog-friendly and rarely overcrowded.
Getting there requires some attention: the turnoff is unmarked, and heading south, it's the second road on the right after Pfeiffer State Park. It's easy to miss so slow down and watch for it!
McWay Falls
McWay Falls drops 80 feet directly onto the beach below, one of the only waterfalls in California that falls straight to the ocean. Spring runoff makes it especially dramatic. The walk from the parking lot is short, this is more of a moment than a hike, but it's a genuinely memorable one.
McWay Falls